Narrative:

PIC failed to perform a QRH abnormal procedure. 'Cabin altitude' caution message; QRH abnormal. Descending through FL190 to cross arc at 10000 ft as cleared by center; I noticed my ears popping rapidly. I looked at ED2 and saw the cabin altitude at about 3000 ft with a cabin climb rate of 3500 FPM. I immediately lowered the nose; further deployed the flight spoilers; and increased the aircraft descent rate from 2000 FPM to 4000 FPM; while pointing the first officer's attention to the cabin climb rate. We had no indication of pressure vessel structural failure; nor of pressurization failure other than an uncontrolled cabin climb. I instructed the first officer to declare an emergency if the cabin altitude reached 10000 ft. About the time we leveled off at 10000 ft the cabin altitude was climbing through 7000 ft to 7500 ft. I instructed the first officer to request a lower altitude; and we were cleared to 7000 ft. At about that time; as I began the descent from 10000 ft to 7000 ft; the cabin altitude caution message illuminated on ED1. I remember thinking I'll address that when we level off. I then called for the descent checklist. By this time the cabin differential was zero and the aircraft and cabin were both at 9000 ft to 9500 ft. Obviously; as we descended through 8500 ft; the cabin altitude message extinguished; and we were handed off to ZZZ approach control. Upon being cleared to 6000 ft and being given vectors for the ILS runway 28L at ZZZ with no caution message displayed; the abnormal QRH procedure dropped off my personal 'radar screen.' since my first officer had recently completed IOE; I did not want to task saturate him; and I requested an approach checklist while I handled the radios. Obviously; throughout all of this I personally became task saturated; and lost situational awareness. Approach and landing were uneventful. My thought process in all of this was: 1) fly the airplane; 2) keep my first officer in step with me; 3) get the airplane down; 4) try not to alarm the passenger; 5) watch the pressure to ensure it didn't go negative; so descent rate was 1000 FPM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 BEGAN LOST CABIN PRESSURE DSNDING THROUGH FL190. AN EXPEDITED DSCNT PREVENTED CABIN ALT ABOVE 10000 FT. AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED.

Narrative: PIC FAILED TO PERFORM A QRH ABNORMAL PROC. 'CABIN ALT' CAUTION MESSAGE; QRH ABNORMAL. DSNDING THROUGH FL190 TO CROSS ARC AT 10000 FT AS CLRED BY CTR; I NOTICED MY EARS POPPING RAPIDLY. I LOOKED AT ED2 AND SAW THE CABIN ALT AT ABOUT 3000 FT WITH A CABIN CLB RATE OF 3500 FPM. I IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE NOSE; FURTHER DEPLOYED THE FLT SPOILERS; AND INCREASED THE ACFT DSCNT RATE FROM 2000 FPM TO 4000 FPM; WHILE POINTING THE FO'S ATTN TO THE CABIN CLB RATE. WE HAD NO INDICATION OF PRESSURE VESSEL STRUCTURAL FAILURE; NOR OF PRESSURIZATION FAILURE OTHER THAN AN UNCTLED CABIN CLB. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER IF THE CABIN ALT REACHED 10000 FT. ABOUT THE TIME WE LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT THE CABIN ALT WAS CLBING THROUGH 7000 FT TO 7500 FT. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO REQUEST A LOWER ALT; AND WE WERE CLRED TO 7000 FT. AT ABOUT THAT TIME; AS I BEGAN THE DSCNT FROM 10000 FT TO 7000 FT; THE CABIN ALT CAUTION MESSAGE ILLUMINATED ON ED1. I REMEMBER THINKING I'LL ADDRESS THAT WHEN WE LEVEL OFF. I THEN CALLED FOR THE DSCNT CHKLIST. BY THIS TIME THE CABIN DIFFERENTIAL WAS ZERO AND THE ACFT AND CABIN WERE BOTH AT 9000 FT TO 9500 FT. OBVIOUSLY; AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 8500 FT; THE CABIN ALT MESSAGE EXTINGUISHED; AND WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZZZ APCH CTL. UPON BEING CLRED TO 6000 FT AND BEING GIVEN VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 28L AT ZZZ WITH NO CAUTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED; THE ABNORMAL QRH PROC DROPPED OFF MY PERSONAL 'RADAR SCREEN.' SINCE MY FO HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED IOE; I DID NOT WANT TO TASK SATURATE HIM; AND I REQUESTED AN APCH CHKLIST WHILE I HANDLED THE RADIOS. OBVIOUSLY; THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS I PERSONALLY BECAME TASK SATURATED; AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. MY THOUGHT PROCESS IN ALL OF THIS WAS: 1) FLY THE AIRPLANE; 2) KEEP MY FO IN STEP WITH ME; 3) GET THE AIRPLANE DOWN; 4) TRY NOT TO ALARM THE PAX; 5) WATCH THE PRESSURE TO ENSURE IT DIDN'T GO NEGATIVE; SO DSCNT RATE WAS 1000 FPM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.